Trapped
by rkocena54
Summary: Maryse has a new boss, and Ted won't rest until he saves her. Ted/Maryse/Batista fanfic, romance and slightly angsty.
1. Saved By A Legacy

A match against _Kane?_ Stephanie _must_ be crazy. Either that or she's pregnant again. Or high. Because why else would she be putting the number one contender for the Diva's title in a match against the Big Red Machine? Ok, so I did slap her in the face, but that's only because she called me a coward. Stephanie McMahon and I have never seen eye-to-eye, though, ever since I debuted. I guess a match against Kane is a simple case of be careful what you wish for; I'd just last night been complaining to CM Punk that all the other Diva's were too easy to beat, and that I wanted more competition.

Sorry, I should introduce myself. For those of you who don't watch WWE, my name's Maryse Ouellet... Who am I kidding, of course you know me!

Anyway, back on track...

I'm standing in the ring right now, pretending to be psyched and ready, but truth is, I'm scared shitless. I mean, seriously, it's KANE! He's friggin seven feet tall! I'm 5ft 8"! Fire explodes from the ring post, and I almost pee my pants. I shoot a look to Lilian Garcia and Chad Patton, who smile sympathetically. I roll my eyes and focus on Kane. Maybe I could deliberately get myself DQ'd... Kane's approaching me, with a menacing look in his eyes...

OK, right now, at this present moment, I am being held by the throat, which basically means I'm about to get chokeslammed. I hear the crowd roar in approval. What the hell? Are they enjoying this? That's when I notice Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes, of all people, running down the entrance ramp, just as I'm getting lifted into the air. Actually, I shouldn't be suprised; Randy promised me on day one he would look out for me. Apparently he didn't mean _personally_. Cody takes out Kane's legs and chases him out of the ring while Ted checks on me.  
"Are you OK?"  
"I'm fine..." I manage to reply. The back of my neck is killing me though, after what I assume was a clothesline earlier.. I couldn't really tell seeings as I was only semi-conscious. Ted lifts me up and places his hands on my shoulders. He smiles and leans his forehead against mine.  
"Are you sure you're OK?"  
I smile back at him.  
"Yeah, I'm--" I don't even get to finish my sentence- Ted is kissing me. Before I even get a chance to enjoy it though, it's over, and Cody and Ted are walking back up the entrance ramp, leaving me blushing like a little school girl. I smile uneasily at the crowd and roll out of the ring.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" The trainer examines my neck from behind while I hold the ice pack to it.  
"Just a little bit of pain, right here-" Once again, I don't get to finish my sentence before Mickie James walks in.  
"Hey Reese"  
"Hi, Mickie"  
"Ted just came to the locker room looking for you..."  
I drop the icebag into the trainer's awaiting hands, and feel myself blushing again, in spite of myself.  
"Ted... DiBiase?"  
"No, Big Ted from Play School."  
"Right." I should've seen that one coming. I start to walk out of the room. "Thanks, doc." Mickie follows me out.  
"Are you going to find Ted?"  
"Sure. But you aren't." I stop and push Mickie back into the trainer's room and close the door in her face. She's a sweet girl, and a great friend, but she's a bit nosy sometimes. I can hear her protesting, but I ignore it.  
10 minutes later, I run into Cody Rhodes, who's standing by the soda machine.  
"Cody..."  
Cody grins, knowing exactly who I'm looking for. Arrogant bitch. I love him, but God he's annoying.  
"Hiya Maryse."  
"Have you seen Ted?" I try to sound nonchalant, but I don't think it's working. I'm not so good at the acting.  
"Maybe..." At this point, I'm resisting the urge to push the soda machine over and squash Cody flat.  
"Cody, come on" Now I just sound desperate. Cody rolls his eyes and points to his left.  
"He's hanging around your locker room"  
"Thank you" I hug Cody quickly and half skip, half run down the corridor. Once I get near the locker room, I can see the back of Ted's head and I coach myself to breathe... I've never noticed how cute Ted is until now... Even the back of his head-- Ok, enough talking, here goes...  
"Ted!" He turns around at the sound of my voice and grins.  
"I was beginning to think you were avoiding me" His gorgeous accent makes me forget everything I was planning to say to him. This sucks.  
"No, no, I was looking for you. I-I wanted to say thanks for saving me out there."  
"There's no need to thank me for saving you... Cody did all the work" He takes a step closer to me and my heart starts beating faster.  
"Well, if you aren't the one who saved me, maybe I should give this to Cody..." I take a step closer to him and kiss him. This time, it seems to last forever, which I definitely prefer.  
"There's no need to give that to Cody, I mean after all, I did all the work..." Ted smiles at me again, and I can hear someone calling his name. I sigh, knowing if Ted leaves now, I won't see him until this time next week. I turn around to see Randy Orton. Remind me to yell at him later  
"I should... go..." Ted smiles apologetically, and just the sight of his smile makes me let him go. I watch helplessly as he walks down the corridor. Once he gets to Randy, he hits him in the arm. I can slightly make out what Ted is saying.  
"You have the worst timing in the world" I giggle a bit and walk away, anxiously awaiting next week.


	2. Mystery Opponent

I take a deep breath, and knock on the door to Stephanie McMahon's office and wait for the response from the other side.  
"Come in"  
I walk in very tentatively, not knowing what mood Stephanie's gonna be in.  
"Well hey Ted! What can I do for you?"  
I guess that answers my question.  
"Uh, Steph, I was just wondering if I could... take tonight off."  
She puts down the paperwork she was reading and looks at me, slightly pissed off.  
"Why?"  
"Well, I wanted to spend tonight with Maryse..." I curse myself for getting so embarrassed about that last part. Stephanie sighs.  
"No, you can't have the night off Ted." I look at the floor in annoyance. "You're already booked for a match tonight and you know I can't change that."  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Is that all, Ted?"  
"Who's my match against?"  
"You'll just have to wait and see."  
She smiles at me, and it turns my stomach a bit. Stephanie is reasonable most nights, but she is still a McMahon, and she could have anything in store for me.

I walk down the corridor once again, angry. I speed past the Diva's locker room like usual. Once I get a few steps away, I stop, and go back. Even just standing there staring at the door makes me nervous. So many of the guys, including Cody, have tried to pursue Maryse at one stage or another. I, on the other hand, always thought of her as just a friend. Up until about two weeks ago anyway. I watched her match against Jillian Hall, which is something I never do, and it was… Well, she looked so hot. So arrogant in an adorable way. Even when she was kicking Jillian's ass. And I was intrigued. The door opens, and Maryse steps out. She looks shocked.  
"Hey Ted…"  
"Hey… Where are you going?"  
"I have a match soon."  
"Oh, me too."  
Maryse smiles and touches my arm.  
"Maybe I'll see you after you win"  
She walks off, and I find myself watching her perfect body as she does.

I'm standing in the ring, and right now, all I can think about is who my opponent could possibly be.  
And then, the all-too-familiar music filled the arena, and I gape in disbelief.  
After a moment, Maryse steps out from the curtain, and my eyes widen. This can't be happening. Why would Stephanie put me in a match against Maryse?  
"Introducing his opponent, from Montreal, Quebec, Maryse!"  
Oh my God. This makes no sense, at all. Maryse steps into the ring cautiously and steps towards me a bit. The sound of the bell signaling the start of the match makes me feel physically ill.  
"Ted, what's going on?"  
"Just..." I look into her eyes and notice how scared she is. Scared, most likely, that I'm actually going to fight her. This can't be happening. Maryse looks at me with desperation. I get down on my knees, and slowly lie down on the canvas. Maryse carefully gets down and pins me, 1, 2, 3. The bell rings, and I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that could've turned out a lot worse. Maryse smiles gratefully and gives me a hug. I hug her back, stroking her long blonde hair, glad that she's safe, at least, for now.

I storm down the hallway like a man possessed and push Stephanie McMahon's door open without even knocking. I'm too fucking pissed to care about knocking.  
"Why would you put me in a match against Maryse?"  
"Ted-"  
"You know, that's just-It's sick, that's what it is, to expect that I would wrestle her!"  
"TED! First of all, _knock_ next time. Second, I didn't book that match."  
"You're in charge. Why would you let anyone else book your matches?"  
"I can't put Maryse in a match, because _I don't own her contract"__  
_I feel my mouth fall open in shock.  
"Who does then?"  
"I'm not at liberty to tell you. If he or she wants to disclose who they are, they will. But for now-" She gestures towards the open door. I take the hint and walk out, confused as hell.  
Who owns Maryse's contract?


	3. Who Owns My Goddamn Contract?

"Have you seen Ted? Ted DiBiase, who else would I be talking about? No, I checked there. I've looked everywhere, Randy! It doesn't matter what I need to tell him that's none of your-- Well it is that important! Ugh, fine" I slam my phone shut in anger and pace around a bit. The news that a WWE superstar holds my contract isn't the best thing in the world... Especially if that person is diabolical enough to put me in a match against Ted...  
"Maryse, uhh, Stephanie has told me to inform you that you have a match tonight."  
Todd smiles politely and begins to walk away, but I grab his arm, kinda aggressively.  
"Against who? Oh, wait, let me guess: Chris Jericho. Kane. JBL."  
"Actually, I don't know... but your number one contender's spot is on the line."  
Todd walks away, and I sigh. Another mystery opponent. AND I'm defending my contenders spot. Great. This is just peachy! Whoever it is, my _boss_ isn't gonna make it easy for me, that's for sure. What was I... Right, gotta find Ted!

"The following Diva's contest is scheduled for one fall! Now, if Maryse loses this match, she will lose her future Diva's championship rematch privilege. Introducing first, from Montreal, Quebec, Maryse! And her opponent... The team of Jillian Hall and Beth Phoenix, the Glamazon!"  
Shit.  
A handicap match?! This sucks more than Kurt Angle.  
Well, I guess I can kiss my number one contenders spot goodbye...  
Or not? Ted DiBiase makes his way down the ramp after Beth and Jillian are in the ring, and stands across the ring from Santino, looking intimidating. I try not to laugh as Santino uneasily hides behind Beth. Ted glares at him and then at Beth. It makes me feel a little better knowing he's there to protect me.

"One, Two--" I manage to just lift my shoulder off the canvas. Beth screams at the referee in frustration. I drag myself to the ropes, and Beth clotheslines me over the top. Ted walks over tries to stop Beth from attacking me, but there's nothing he can do. Beth gets held back by the ref, and I lift myself onto the apron. Beth runs over and knocks me off, and I fall into Ted's arms. He's always saving me. He smiles at me and I smile back sheepishly. He puts me down and I slide back in the ring. Santino calls something out at me, but I don't quite understand what he says... Ted obviously does though, coz he runs at Santino and starts punching him in the face. Beth starts badmouthing Ted, telling him to get away from Santino, so I take advantage of the distraction and roll Beth up.  
"One, Two, Three!" I let out a sigh of relief, pretty amazed that I managed to survive Jillian and Beth's onslaught. Ted gets in the ring and holds up my hand. When he drops it, I hold onto his hand and pull him closer to me.  
"Thanks for catching me before"  
"Somebody's got to"  
And all of a sudden, I find myself kissing Ted again. The crowd cheers in approval. Ted helps me out of the ring and walks up the ramp with me.  
"By the way, do you have any idea who holds your contract?"  
Oh God, I'd completely forgotten about that. I frown at Ted.  
"No. No clue..."


	4. Will My Contract Holder Please Stand Up?

Maryse walked down the corridor backstage, racking her brains, trying to think of who could possibly have convinced Stephanie McMahon to give them her contract. After last weeks close call, Maryse could only imagine what else she'd be put through. She needed to find out who owned her contract. She needed to find--  
An arm shot out from the locker room door and pulled Maryse inside by the wrist. She giggled as Ted brushed the blonde hair out of her face and looked deep into her eyes. Maryse's cheeks went a slight shade of pink as Ted leaned in closer, their lips only inches apart. Maryse's heart leapt into her throat as Ted leaned in those last few inches and kissed her ever-so gently. Every worry in Maryse's mind about her contract holder just melted away. They pulled apart, and Ted smiled at her.  
"Did I tell you that you look _incredible_ today?"  
The corner of Maryse's mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but grin widely. Ted took her hand again and pulled her out of the empty locker room.  
"Come on." Maryse looked at him, confused, but followed anyway.  
"Where are we going?"  
"The ring" He said it so simply, as if the answer was obvious. Maryse's eyebrows drew together. Ted turned around and smiled reassuringly at her. She walked a little quicker so she could stand directly beside Ted. He put his hand around her waist in a friendly way and she did the same to him. Ted leaned over a bit and kissed Maryse on the forehead in a way that made her believe that as long as she was with Ted, everything was going to be ok.

When the Priceless theme song blasted through the arena, Maryse finally realized just why Ted used that song. He really was priceless. Ted and Maryse walked down the ramp side by side, and when they got to the ring, he held the ropes for her. Maryse kissed his cheek 'thank-you' and handed Ted a microphone, not knowing what he was about to say.  
"Two weeks ago on Raw, I was told by Stephanie McMahon that I had a match. Only when I was in the ring did I find out that match was against Maryse..." Ted glanced at Maryse, only very briefly, but long enough for her to realize how badly she wanted to kiss him again. But, she figured it was best to let him finish. This could be important. "And when I questioned Steph about it, she told me that she didn't own Maryse's contract." The crowd booed slightly as Ted said that last part. "And after last week, I've decided that, well, enough is enough. Whoever holds Maryse's contract, you show yourself _right now."_ Stephanie McMahon's face appeared on the Titantron.  
"Ted, the holder of Maryse's contract will show himself... But you must face him in a match, right here tonight, when he does."  
Ted pulled off his t-shirt and passed it to Maryse, showing that he was ready to kick whoever's ass it was. A tense silence filled the arena, and Maryse was sure she heard a pin drop. The wait was beginning to bother Maryse, and Ted could see that, and it bothered him. All of a sudden, Stephanie McMahon's face on the Titantron was replaced by the word 'BATISTA', and "I Walk Alone" by Saliva played through the arena. Ted tried his best not to look shocked, but it was hard. Batista? Maryse shook her head in shock, trying to comprehend all that was happening in front of her. She leaned closer to Ted.  
"I didn't know he was smart enough to know how to sign his own name."  
"Apparently, Neanderthals are smarter than we thought."  
Dave Batista grinned as he climbed into the ring, picking a microphone off the stairs as he went. He stood staring at Maryse for a moment, in a way that made her really uneasy. His music faded out, and Ted glared at Dave threateningly.  
"Well, well well. Look at this. I didn't know I'd given you permission to have a _boyfriend_"  
Ted put a hand on Maryse's shoulder in a way of restraining her.  
"I don't _need_ permission." Batista just looked at her. "Oh, I'm sorry Dave, I forgot about your teeny tiny brain" Maryse stepped closer to Dave, anger towards him masking her fear of being beaten bloody... or eaten. "ME NO NEED PERMISSION" She nodded, teasing that she knew she was speaking Dave's language. "HE KICK YOUR ASS NOW" And with that, Ted tackled Batista, punching him repeatedly in the face. Maryse exited the ring ASAP, not wanting to get involved... yet. When she did, the bell rung, signaling the start of this match. Batista used his strength to his advantage and shoved Ted off him as if he were a small child. Maryse moaned uneasily. This was not going to be fun to watch. Ted started right back on the attack, backing Batista into the corner, but once again, Batista just shoved Ted away. Batista walked towards Ted, enraged and the two of them locked up. Ted kneed Batista in the gut, and The Animal doubled over in pain. Ted took this time to hit a DDT on Batista. He pinned him  
"One, two--" Batista rolled his shoulder off the canvas just in time, and Irish whipped Ted into the corner. Batista low-blowed Ted, making Ted wince in pain. Maryse's eyes widen. The bell rings, and Lilian Garcia announced the result  
"The winner of this match as a result of a disqualification, Ted DiBiase!" The crowd cheered, but Batista wasn't finished. He went to hit Ted again, but backed off. Maryse walked towards the corner Ted was standing in, concerned, and Batista exited the ring. Maryse tried to warn Ted, but he just waved it off, and walked towards the now chair wielding Batista. The sound of the chair meeting Ted's skull was sickening. Maryse gasped and covered her mouth in shock.  
"Ted!"  
A small amount of blood escaped Ted's skull, and just as Batista raised the dented chair for a second shot, Maryse slid into the ring and held Ted in her arms, covering his head protectively. Ted's safety seemed a lot more important than her own. Ted clutched Maryse's arm weakly, and instead of hitting both of them like his instincts were screaming at him to do, Batista just laughed and exited the ring. His theme music plays, and Maryse scoffed, disgusted, turning her attention back to her boyfriend.  
"Are you OK?"  
"Thanks for saving me" Ted grinned at me through the blood, which was now dripping down his nose and into his mouth. Maryse tries her best to wipe some of it off with Ted's t-shirt.  
"Somebody's got to." Maryse smiled back at Ted and kissed his bleeding forehead. "Come on, we gotta get you some help." She waved over Mike Chioda, who rushed over to help Ted up. Maryse and Chioda helped Ted backstage, and the whole way back to the trainers room, Maryse didn't stop thinking about ways to get Batista back for what he had done.


	5. Confrontation Is A Bitch

"I love this."  
"Love what?"  
"This! You know, just... Hanging out! Not worrying about Beth Phoenix, or Batista, or--"  
"Hey" Ted took Maryse's hand. "For someone who enjoys _not_ worrying, you seem to have no trouble bringing up all those things." "When did our lives get so complicated?"  
Ted tilted his head, thinking the answer was obvious.  
"When Dave Batista bought your contract."  
Maryse just rolled her eyes.

Ted walked into The Legacy's shared locker room and slammed the door shut behind him. Cody flinched and put his water bottle down.  
"Rough day?"  
Ted just glared at his best friend. Cody winced and decided to try again.  
"That bad, huh?"  
"Batista is going to make my life hell Cody. Maryse's too." Cody raised his eyebrows at Ted, not knowing what to say. Ted continued. "There's nothing I can do, you saw what happened last week, when he beat the shit out of me, so what the hell am I supposed to do?!" Ted swiped his right hand at Cody's water bottle, sending it flying across the locker room. Cody winced again. "I don't know what to do, Cody" Cody moved closer to Ted, knowing how pissed off he must be.  
"Go have a shower."  
"Cody, I have bigger problems right now. Besides, that awful stink is you."  
"Just do it. It'll help you think, and calm down."  
Ted glared at his tag-partner suspiciously, but stood up anyway.  
"Alright..."  
Cody nodded in approval.  
"Alright."

Maryse turned to her left, and saw Cody and Randy talking tactics at the other end of the corridor, near the curtain. Maryse poked her head in the door of Legacy's locker room. Any time she could get to talk to Ted would have to do. He was seriously stressed out lately, and it was her fault. This whole thing shouldn't be his problem. Ted was doing pushups on the floor. He was facing the other way, and couldn't see Maryse. Ted was clearly pissed. Maryse decided it would be best if she left him alone for a bit. Leaving the locker room, she glanced up to see Batista standing where Orton and Rhodes had been just moments ago. He was glaring at her, like he was planning something. Maryse pushed that thought from her mind, not wanting to worry about anything else, and continued back to the Diva's locker room.

"Maryse, Maryse, there you are!"  
Maria Kanellis approached Maryse and smiled.  
"You have a match now."  
Maryse looked at Maria, exhausted and confused.  
"What? Against..." Maryse sighed, knowing what Maria would say next. "You know what, never mind."  
Maria smiled and walked off. Maryse's theme music played, and she walked out, without her usual arrogance, totally not ready for a match.  
"Introducing first, from Montreal, Quebec, Maryse!"  
Maryse smiled half-heartedly and entered the ring. She sighed for what felt like the millionth time. _Just bring them out already, whoever it is. _She thought to herself. _I really couldn't care less right now_. Batista's music began, and Maryse looked at the stage, confused. Why was Batista coming out? Maybe he was gonna tell her he had sold her contract back to Stephanie McMahon. Hey, we can dream, right? But when Batista appeared on the ramp, Maryse knew exactly what he was out here for. She flashed back to earlier, when Batista had glared at her as she was leaving Ted's locker room, and her worst fears were confirmed when Lilian Garcia spoke again.  
"And her opponent, from Washington DC, weighing in at 290 pounds, Batista!"  
Maryse stared daggers into Lilian Garcia, but she knew it wasn't Lilian's fault she was in this match. Movement behind Batista caught Maryse's eye, and she looked closer and saw Ted knocking Batista over the back of the head. He punched Batista over and over and over, Maryse was sure he'd have cracked Dave's skull. _I guess this was his big _plan, Maryse thought to herself. What was it JR always said, more guts than brains? That phrase definitely applied to this situation. Batista got up and threw Ted into the steel steps. The impact made Maryse shudder. She screamed at Dave to stop, but there was nothing she could do, the referee was holding _her _back, as if she was the one trying to _kill_ someone. Ted winced, and Maryse felt every ounce of his pain. Batista's head disappeared under the ring, and when he resurfaced, he was holding handcuffs. Maryse's blood went cold as Batista grabbed Ted's limp hand, and handcuffed him to the bottom ring rope. Batista climbed into the ring slowly, methodically. Maryse was frozen in fear. Ted had come to save her, and failed. No surprise there, he was giving up at least 50 pounds to Batista. There was nothing she could do now. Batista slowly turned his head to face Maryse, and laughed ever-so evilly. Ted tugged at his handcuffs, scared to death of what might happen to Maryse. Batista leaned in to Maryse and roughly kissed her. She pushed him away, and tried to slap him, but Batista grabbed her hand and laughed again. He put her in position, and delivered a Batista Bomb so devastating, Ted was sure even people up in the cheap-seats had heard it. Ted tried to yell, but no sound came out. Batista got on top of Maryse and hooked her leg for the easy one, two, three. But once again, he wasn't finished. Batista turned back to Ted, and pointed at him threateningly.  
"Watch this"  
Ted tugged as hard as he could at the handcuffs, but they wouldn't budge. Batista grabbed a steel chair from ringside, and, ignoring the referee's pleas, he smashed the chair into Maryse's skull, sending her deeper into unconsciousness. The only good thing about this for Ted was that Maryse wasn't awake to witness the brutality of chair shot after chair shot. Blood gushed from Maryse's head, and Ted finally managed to scream.  
"Get away from her, you son of a bitch!" Ted pulled on the handcuffs as hard as he could. Batista ignored Ted, and placed the chair on Maryse's neck, and climbed on the top rope. Ted could see where this was going, and he did not like it at all. Ted forced himself to look away, focusing on freeing himself. Ted pulled as hard as he could, until he heard a sickening snap. Ted shut his eyes, praying to God that it wasn't Maryse's neck, but expecting the worst. He opened his eyes and saw that he had broken the handcuffs. Ted paused for a moment, surprised at his own strength, before climbing into the ring as quick as possible and dragging Batista into the ring from the top rope, punching him in the face repeatedly, until Batista was bleeding too. Ted rushed to Maryse's side and carefully removed the steel chair from her head. He picked up the chair and bashed Batista over the head repeatedly with it, before going back to Maryse's side. Ted was angry at himself for letting this happen to Maryse, he was angry at Cody for not letting him see how incredibly stupid his plan was, he was angry at Stephanie McMahon for selling Maryse's contract, but most of all, he was angry at Batista for hurting Maryse like he did. Maryse was laid out in the middle of the ring, regaining consciousness. Ted kicked Batista out of the ring and went back to Maryse's side. She opened her mouth to speak, but at first, only blood came out. Ted shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see her like this.  
"Ted..."  
Ted kissed Maryse's head and cradled her in his arms.  
"I swear, I will never _ever_ let this happen to you again. I'm so sorry" She tried her best to smile, but it didn't work. Nothing could hide the intense pain she was feeling right now. There was only one thing she could do...  
"Thank you... for... saving me." The words hurt Maryse to say. Physically, of course. Ted hugged Maryse as tightly as she could without hurting her. The EMT's finally got to the ring, and assisted Ted in helping Maryse up. Maryse put her right arm around Ted's shoudler, and he supported her all the way up the ramp.  
"Oh, and by the way..." Maryse looked at Ted, confused. He grinned back at her. "Somebody's got to" Maryse laughed, surprising herself and Ted in the process.  
"God, please, somebody get me an ice pack and some vodka."


	6. Challenge Extended

Ted handed Maryse an icepack and sighed. She held it up to her head, feeling the cold all the way down to her toes. She closed her eyes and winced in pain. It had been one week, and her head was pounding as if Batista was still hitting her with that chair. Ted placed a comforting hand on Maryse's leg.  
"Hey, it's gonna be ok." Ted didn't believe those words a single bit, but he was hoping if he could convince Maryse, at least one of them would be in a good mood.  
"No, it's not Ted. If things keep going this way, I'm going to be killed!"  
Ted sighed again, and looked at the ground for a brief moment before looking back into Maryse's eyes.  
"Listen to me. Don't worry, ok? I have a plan."  
Maryse's looked into Ted's eyes and had no choice but to believe him.  
"Ok"  
Ted took the icepack away and kissed her on the head.  
"Ok"

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome, Ted DiBiase and Maryse!"  
Ted led Maryse to the ring by the hand and held the ropes open for her. Maryse stepped into the ring tentatively, fearing that Batista would come out and hurt her and Ted again. Ted took Lilian's microphone and looked towards the entrance way with an angry expression.  
"Batista... For weeks now, you have been hurting, tormenting, torturing me and Maryse, and I'm not going to put up with it anymore. Batista, get your chicken ass out her right now so we can settle this."  
Maryse's heart quickened as Batista's music blasted through the arena after a few moments. Ted nodded slightly and didn't take his eyes off Batista.  
"What's up Ted?"  
Ted's eyes filled with rage and hate.  
"What the hell is your problem?"  
"My problem? You're the one with the problem!"  
Ted and Batista started yelling over the top of each other, calling each other names and threatening one another.  
"How about we settle this right now?"  
Batista laughed and shook his head.  
"No no, we do this on my terms. How about we settle this... At No Way Out. Winner gets your little whore's contract"  
Maryse restrained Ted while the crowd roared in approval, but quietened down, awaiting Ted's response. Ted smiled at Batista.  
"You're on"


	7. No Way Out

"Hello ladies and gentleman, and welcome to No Way Out, we're coming to you live from Hershey PA. Now King No Way Out is a fitting title for our first match up. If Ted DiBiase Jr loses to Batista, Ted's valet--"

"She's his girlfriend, J.R, let's call her what she is, she's Ted's girlfriend"  
"Well, if Ted wins this match up, not only will he win the match, but he'll win the contract of his _girlfriend_, the lovely Maryse. If he loses, Maryse's contract will remain in the slimy hands of the Animal. Batista has done some despicable things these past few weeks, folks, let's take a look"

A montage of clips of Batista beating up Ted and Maryse started playing. Cody picked up the remote and turned off the TV, sensing Ted's unease. Ted glared up at Cody. Malice stung his eyes. He wasn't mad at Cody. He was nervous, and Cody could tell. They'd spent enough time together on the road, in the locker room, after shows, and they'd become like brothers. Cody sighed heavily and patted Ted on the shoulder.  
"You're going to be fine."

Maryse walked out into the arena, her signature arrogance back. Tonight was the night she was going to be freed. This was it, she could feel it. Ted may not have had faith in himself, but she certainly did. She entered the ring and glanced around at the crowd. She could see hundreds of neon colored "Free Maryse" signs around the arena, which made her smile even bigger. Her music died out, and I Walk Alone blasted out through the arena. Batista swaggered out onto the entrance ramp, ditching his usual energetic entrance. He smiled methodically, knowing he had this match in the bag. He'd beaten Ted before; he could certainly do it again. He was inside Ted's head, and that made things so much easier. Batista looked at Maryse, in her short shorts, and shook his head. He was gonna have fun when this one was over. As Batista entered the ring, Maryse quickly made her escape. Batista blew a kiss to her from the inside of the ring, and reveled in her discomfort.

Priceless took the place of Batista's entrance song, and Ted walked to the ring with a purpose. He wasn't mucking around. He could see the way Batista was looking at Maryse. And he didn't like it one bit. He slid into the ring and marched right up to Batista. The two started getting in each other's faces, yelling at each other with no real purpose at all. Batista took the first swing, and connected with Ted's jaw. Ted didn't even hesitate, swinging right back. Charles Robinson rang the bell, signaling the start of the match. The crowd booed and cheered with every punch, loving the rivalry and intensity of the two competitors.

It continued for a good twenty minutes. Ted gave Batista everything he had, fighting for his life. Maryse watched from ringside, cheering her heart out, never for one second losing faith in her man. After exactly 22 minutes, 30 seconds, Batista signaled the thumbs down, and Maryse's face dropped. It seemed to happen in slow motion. Ted was hoisted up onto Batista's shoulders, and as he did, he managed to look at Maryse. _I'm sorry_, he mouthed to her. Maryse covered her eyes, and as she heard the sound of Ted's back hitting the canvas, a tear escaped her eye. Ted had failed. The ref counted one, two three, and the bell rang again. Maryse took away her hands and saw Batista standing triumphantly over Ted's body. She slid into the ring and dropped to her knees next to Ted. Batista shook his head and reached down, grabbing Maryse by the arm. She tried to fight him off, and managed to get away for a brief second before Batista grabbed her wrist. Ted, who had managed to get up from the devastating beating he had received, grabbed Maryse's other wrist. Maryse's looked from side to side, from her boyfriend to her captor, her hero to her villain. Both were tugging at her arms, trying to pull her out of the other's grip. Batista's strength combined with Ted's fatigue lead to Batista finally yanking Maryse away from Ted, and proceeding to drag Maryse out of the ring. Ted dropped to his knees and watched as Maryse headed up the ramp with Batista. She turned around to look at Ted, distress filling her body. Her once chance at freedom had been and gone.


	8. Well, That Was Unexpected

Maryse sat in Batista's locker room, her hands squishing up her cheeks. Right now, her hand was the only thing holding up her head. Batista paced back and forward in front of her, rambling about who knows what. Maryse was completely tuned out. She hadn't seen or heard from Ted since the match at No Way Out just 24 hours earlier.  
"Hey, you dirty skank, are you even listening to me?"  
Maryse snapped out of her thoughts and looked up and Batista. He glared down at her as if she were worthless. He laughed, and shook his head, taking a deep breath, and suddenly slapped Maryse across the face. Hard.

Ted had just gotten out of the shower after his match against Chris Jericho when he heard a loud yelp. His eyes widened, and he stormed out of his locker room. Ted slammed his door behind him, looking either side of him like a mad man. He walked two doors down, and banged on the door furiously until Rey Mysterio opened it.  
"Ted, man what's up?"  
Ted pushed past Rey and turned around.  
"We need to talk."

Maria knocked cautiously on Batista's locker room door. She'd head dozens of rumors about what he'd done to Maryse, and she didn't want to end up like her. Batista ripped the door open. His angry expression changed into what Maria could only guess was confidence. Batista looked Maria up and down. Maria covered her chest with her arms and looked at the floor.  
"Hi Dave… Stephanie McMahon told me to tell you that you have a match tonight. Against Rey Mysterio."  
Batista's expression changed back to anger just as quickly as before. Maria, frightened as hell, nodded, smiled, and walked speedily down the corridor, as fast as she could.

"Rey, you can do this"  
Rey looked up at Ted and Cody, glaring a bit.  
"I know I can Ted, I never said I couldn't."  
"Well just… Beat the shit out of him."  
"Ted-"  
"619 that smug smile off his face.  
"Ted-"  
"West Coast Pop him until-"  
"TED!" Ted looked down at Rey, confused.  
"What?"  
"For the love of God, stop! I will beat him, just please shut up."  
"Right. Sorry."

Batista wasn't gonna back down, but he was worried. He knew Rey well; he knew he was capable of big things. But then again, Batista had the size advantage. Why Rey had requested this match, Dave still hadn't quite figured out. He had nothing to do with Maryse, or Ted. He hadn't even spoken to either of them before as far as he knew. He bounced up and down, shifting his weight from one leg to another, staring Rey down from across the ring. The bell rang, and Rey charged at Batista, kicking him in the legs. Batista fell to the ground quickly, but got up just as fast, humiliated. He Irish whipped Rey against the ropes, and swung his arm, attempting to clothesline Rey. Instead, Rey ducked under it and slid between Batista's legs and out the other side. The crowd laughed and cheered, filling Batista with rage. Rey was embarrassing him already. He could not let this happen. He had to maintain his status of dominance and power. People were finally realizing his ability, what he was capable of. People were scared of him. He couldn't give that up. Rey taunted Batista, and Maryse clapped from the outside. Batista and Rey locked up, and Batista backed Rey into the corner. The referee started counting.  
"1, 2, 3, Batista, you gotta get off him! 4-"  
Batista shoved his hands into Rey's face and walked back to the center of the ring. Rey regained his fighting stance, and swung his leg at Batista again. That's when the gears began turning in Batista's brain. He grabbed Rey's leg, and smashed his forearm over it. Rey grunted in pain, falling to the ground. Batista took a page out of Randy Orton's book, stomping on Rey's leg slowly, methodically. Rey grabbed at his leg. Batista dropped to his knees and applied a reverse Figure Four Leglock on Rey, twisting his leg in unnatural ways. Rey yelped in agony, attempting to crawl his way to the ropes. Maryse started banging on the mat, trying to get the crowd to help her will Rey back into the match. The crowd starting clapping, stomping their feet, but it wasn't doing much good. Rey's leg was useless now, and Batista's size was too overwhelming for Rey. Maryse saw the look on Rey's face, and distracted the referee, giving Rey a chance to deliver a low blow to Batista. The crowd cheered, and the referee turned his attention back to the match. Rey, now free from the hold, fought back, kicking Batista with his good leg. Batista exited the ring, attempting to take a breather and rethink his strategy. Rey wasn't having any of that though, diving over the top rope at Batista, hoping to hit him with a cross body. Batista saw it coming, grabbed Maryse roughly and pushed her in front of him, straight into harms way. Maryse took the full force of the cross body, and her head bounced on the thinly padded concrete floor. The crowd went silent. Rey put his hands on his head, feeling incredibly guilty over what just transpired.  
"Maryse, are you OK?" He bent down to check on her, but Batista dragged him away, lifted him up and smashed his bad leg into the ring post. All of a sudden, the crowd got on their feet, and started cheering, but Batista barely noticed. That is, until he felt a steel chair being smashed across his head. Batista fell to the ground as Ted mounted him, bashing his closed fists against Batista's skull. The bell rang, but Ted didn't care. This match was going the complete opposite way to what he had hoped and expected. All Ted's built up anger and aggression from his loss at No Way Out and the weeks leading up to it come flooding out. Referees and officials tried to restrain him, but Ted pushed them away. He was in no way finished with Batista. Eventually, the officials succeeded in separating the two superstars, but both knew that their rivalry was a long, long way from over.

Maryse was backstage, lacing up her boots, preparing for her match against Beth Phoenix when Batista stormed through the door. Maryse crawled backwards slightly on the ground. Batista was seriously pissed off. After his confrontation with Ted, Maryse had avoided Batista, and hid out in Randy's locker room, because she knew Dave would not be happy. She was right.  
"What the hell was that?!"  
He stepped closer.  
"What the hell was he doing interrupting my match?"  
Maryse could see the spit flying from his mouth. It was disgusting. There's no denying why they called him the Animal. He looked like a dog with rabies when he was like this… a Great Dane maybe… or a really big pug…  
Yep. This was pretty much what went on in Maryse's head when Batista was talking to her. She decided it was in her best interest to start listening though. He was never really this mad.

"If anything like that happens again… If he interrupts my match or if I see him talking to you… your career, and his life… are over. You hear me?!"  
Batista walked angrily out of the locker room and slammed the door shut. Maryse just shook her head and resumed her boot-lacing.


	9. I'll Show You A Winner

Maryse paced around her locker room. She had a bad feeling about tonight. Something bad was going to happen. She just couldn't put her finger on it.  
"Maryse!"  
Maryse turned around to see Ted DiBiase walking up behind her with a huge grin on his face. As adorable as his smile was, Maryse didn't smile back. She was just shocked.  
"Ted!"  
The tone in Maryse's voice was nothing like his; she sounded more unpleasantly surprised than happy.  
"Hey, where have you been I've been looking for you-" Ted tried to place his hands on Maryse's arms, but she backed away.  
"Look Ted, I can't, I can't do this. Sorry." And with that, Maryse walked hastily out of the locker room, into the corridor, and out of sight. Ted remained still, feeling completely rejected and hopeless.

Maryse walked hurriedly down the corridor and into the first open door she found. She closed the door behind her, and turned around. Cody stood frozen, a confused expression on his face, water bottle in one hand and phone in the other.  
"Maryse… What are you doing here?"  
Of course. Of all locker rooms to hide in, she'd picked Ted and Cody's. Maryse sighed and brushed her hair out of her face.  
"I'm hiding."  
"From who?" Cody quizzed. He was so nosy sometimes.  
"Ted"  
"Wait, what?" Cody took a step closer to her, putting down his water bottle.  
"Batista's gonna kill Ted if I keep talking to him, Cody. You know what he's capable of, you've seen what he's done to me and Ted before. I have to stop seeing Ted. He can't fight off Batista"  
Cody nodded slowly.  
"You're gonna tell Ted exactly what I just said, aren't you?" Maryse sighed.  
Cody held up his iPhone and looked down guiltily.  
"Say hi Ted"  
"Hi" Came the voice through the phone. Maryse sighed again. She couldn't even think of anything to say. She just walked back out the door, and made sure to check whose locker room she was entering next before going in.

Ted gripped the microphone in his hand tighter. He wasn't nervous though. No. Ted was never nervous. He was just… Anxious. He looked to his right, and sighed. Last time he was in this position, Maryse was standing next to him. Once Ted's music had died down, he began he speech.  
"Batista, I'm not gonna take this shit." _Oops. Keep it PG, Teddy. _"Yeah. I lost to you at No Way Out. But I know that I'm better than you. I know I can beat you. One more shot. That's all I want. One more shot, at Wrestlemania. If you win, you keep Maryse's contract, and I go to Smackdown. If I win, I get Maryse's contract and you go crawling back to the hole you came from."  
Ted waited impatiently, and eventually, Batista made his way down to the ring, without Maryse. Ted wasn't sure whether he was relieved or annoyed. But that's what he's been feeling a lot lately.  
"Batista..."  
"Ted, I've heard what you had to say." Batista stepped into the ring, microphone in hand. He walked closer to Ted, his overly muscular frame towering over Ted. "And the answer, is no."  
The crowd's boos reflected Ted's reaction.  
"You're scared" Ted looked up to Batista, staring him straight in his animal eyes. Ted was actually the one who was kinda scared, but he wanted to coax Batista into saying yes. "You're scared because you know I'm younger, I'm better, I'm faster... I'm_ richer, _and I'm better looking than you. You know you can't beat me, Dave. You're just too scared to face me in a fair match."  
Batista laughed. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say.  
"Teddy, I beat you at No Way Out. I pinned you fair and square."  
"Ladder match" Ted reasoned, his voice breaking, and although he tried to hide it, Batista heard the begging in Ted's tone. The crowd seemed to agree with this idea. "A ladder match at Wrestlemania. For Maryse's contract. Loser leaves Raw."  
Batista hesitated, and the two stared each other down again for a moment.  
"No" Batista responded forcefully before dropping his microphone and leaving the ring to a chorus of boos.  
"I'm not giving up" Ted called after Batista. "You can run all you want, Batista, but I'm getting my match at Wrestlemania. You will give me my rematch. And until then, you better be careful. Because everywhere you go, I'll be watching you. When you're in your locker room, I'll be right over your shoulder, whenever you have a match, I'll be right behind the curtain, ready to strike. You better get eyes in the back of your head, Batista, because I _will not rest _until you give me my rematch!" Ted's voice grew louder, until he was screaming at Batista, the crowd mirroring Ted's intensity. Once he'd finished his tirade, Ted saw something in Batista's eyes that he hadn't seen before. Behind the anger, behind the animalistic rage, there was fear. And Ted knew that it was only a matter of time before Batista gave in.


End file.
